2013 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

The promise of smarter spending delivered a growth in savings/fixed deposits for ENBD of 6% – compared with 5% decline during same period last year. Emirates NBD’s brand reputation and satisfaction improved by 33% amongst Emirati Youth.** On Facebook, 15,000 members joined the community in less than 3 months, way faster than any other banking brand in the region. 69% of those who participated were youngsters.*** The media rallied behind the cause generated $ 1.4 million in free PR across print, radio and outdoor against a budget of only 50,000 USD ****

Creative Execution

Introducing Pay Yourself First (PYF), an initiative to make saving a feel good activity. We created PYF community through Facebook – Emirati youth’s favourite ‘bragging’ space. The community educated our consumers on buying smart; smart ways to shop and do it yourself tips. We partnered with leading group buying websites such as Living Social & Groupon to bring our members exclusive offers around topical themes such as travel, cooking and festivals. Soon, youth community portals such as Campus Cashy joined hands with us. Once the campaign gained momentum we built a profile of smart spenders and turned them into heroes of our print ads showcasing their stories to our audience. Due to our humane purpose, 25 local publications got behind our cause. The word got out and soon 7 radio stations & 3 outdoor suppliers joined the cause by offering us free airtime & space.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

UAE is a nation obsessed with bling. More Ferraris and Bentleys are sold here than anywhere else in the world. Luxury has become a lifestyle. But behind the bling lies a harsh reality. 70% of Emirati youth are in debt and living beyond their means * .The more you spend the more you belong. Spending is cool, saving isn’t. As the country’s leading bank, Emirates NBD stepped in to reverse this taboo. We knew a “stop spending, start saving approach” would put the youth off given their low interest in banking. But what if we convince them to spend smartly? What if we tell them that the person they should pay first is themselves? After all, everyone loves a good bargain and Emiratis are no different.